Berkeley Dog

Love their funnel cake fries，the staffs are really nice, everyone go downtown brea should try it

I like my hot dogs plain (meat and bun only), so I normally don’t gravitate towards overpriced, specialty hot dog places. After reading good reviews and hearing my friend talk about how I must try this place when nearby, I definitely had high expectations.
My friend and I ordered the #1 Frankfurter, a Chili Cheese Dog, and an order of the Chili Cheese Fries.
I have concluded that I like Costco hot dogs over Berkeley Dog. I did not hate it but I also did not love the Frankfurter; the hotdog was skinny, long, juicy, and placed inside a toasted roll. Although the chili cheese fries were drenched in cheese and chili, they were mediocre in taste. The chili’s consistency seemed more runny than what I usually enjoy.
This location is quite small and located in the middle of Downtown Brea. There are several other restaurants and dessert places in walking distance, so I probably will not be back here any time soon.

Everytime we go to downtown Brea, we get their Bread Bowl Clam Chowder.
So Fresh and creamy.
And the staffs are very nice too.
my experience with this place is always good!

I honestly think that my expectations of Berkeley Dog was too high, so I didn’t enjoy this meal very much. Plus, I believe I ordered the wrong type of hot dog, which really added to the mess I put myself in. So the only thing you can do is to give a fair rating till you devise another plan to provide an honest assessment.
Besides, my friend E K. is from Chicago and he’s an honest cat when it comes to Hot Dogs, Beer, and Pizza. Since, I trust his judgment to be fair, we agreed to disagree about their food. He favors Berkeley Dog and often teeter totters back and forth between this joint and Portillo’s. As the old saying goes, when you can’t beat them, join them.
KOBE BEEF HOT DOG
I must have been out of my mind to think that adding chili and cheese wouldn’t mask the taste of the better quality meat. Minutes after ordering it, I realized that I should have just ordered the plain Chili Cheese Dog. What a waste of Kobe Beef. MY BAD.
MONSTER FRIES
Loaded with Grilled Onions, Cheese, Bacon Bits, & Chipotle Dressing — it was ultimately too heavy and greasy. We should have just stuck to the Chili Cheese Fries. Knock on wood.
MENU
There’s a lot going on in this place, so check out the wall menu. I’m sure you’ll find something that pleases you. I guess I just didn’t find the one that amused me. They’ve got burgers, clam chowder soup, and an option to add a fried egg on top of your sausage.
EXOTIC MEAT
Here’s something interesting. Meat that might sink their teeth into you — Rattlesnake, Alligator, and Duck & Bacon.
THE EPIC CONCLUSION
My undying love for hot dogs and sausages won’t be phased. As a matter of fact, the MLB season is quickly approaching. Time to dust off the KERSHAW Jersey and grab as many Dodger Dogs that my hands can get a hold of. It’s a Whole New Blue, right?
As for Berkeley Dog, I WILL BE BACK.

Great selection and truly delivers in flavor! Clean and orderly with just about the best selection of mustard from different regions around the world! Great location right beside the Edwards Cinemas. Service is spot on and fast! Try the Portuguese Sausage or the Kobe Beef Dog. The French Fries were perfectly cooked!!! Just love it when everything comes together.

Yep. Real hot dog here. Simple as that

We popped in here for a quick snack and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it really did remind me of the Top Dog location across Berkeley! We snacked on their chili cheese fries which were really scrumptious — just the right amount of meat and cheese on wonderfully crispy fries. I would definitely come back to try one of their dogs, but I know I will be back for their chili fries again!

It was just ok. I got a Louisiana hot link with grilled peppers. The bun is fancy, and not bad, but the smallish sausage was lost in it, seemed like half my bites didn’t include any meat. The peppers, all green (would have liked a mix) were very lightly grilled and still crisp, I would have liked them more grilled and softer. Love the condiment bar including hot sauerkraut and many different types of mustard. Fries were pretty good. David got a chili cheese dog, said it was ok but nothing special and the chili was too runny. Overall everything was ok, but not exceptional. We often buy Aidell’s sausage and expected something of similar quality and flavor but felt the sausage wasn’t up to that level. David commented that he’d be happier with two hot dogs at Costco, which are larger and cheaper and good quality.

Hey this place is the shizniz! I LOVE this place. The bread is to die for one the little dog that I got, what the heck was it called, it was something new… bacon, hash browns, sausage. and then I put a mustard on it, was a different mustard, maybe Hawaiian or something but it was wonderful! Heck, i’m going back and taking pictures, I can’t believe I didn’t do that. it was late after the jazz festival and I was tired. i’m going back and editing my review. sorry.
…bottom line it was fantastic.

I first tried Berkeley Dog at the location across UCI, they are a copycat of the Top dog restaurant located right across from the UC Berkeley campus.
I’m not as big of a fan of this location because they are smaller, offer less condiments, and doesn’t seem as cleanly (the condiment area was messy). I got the hot link which seemed to be drowning in the bun it came in the the dog to bread ratio was uneven. The chilly cheese fries at this location was so oily that the french fries were actually orange :/​I have tried the kobe dog, turkey dog, original frakfurter and chilidog (at the other location) and they were all good. The other location also has the «funnel cake fries» mmm such a fatty little treat. Plus side is that this Berkeley dog is located in the heart of Dowtown Brea, but with options like Bruxie and Crepes de Paris next door, I probably won’t stop in again.

This is the best restaurant in downtown brea. Cheap, good service, fast, and great food. I like my dogs grilled with a little char on it which they are happy to oblige. And the fries! Oh my god the fries. They are the best! Think McDonald’s but fresher. I’m sure they come from a frozen unmarked brown bag but something about them makes them extra delish.
Side of chili — ³⁄₅ a little chunky for my taste
Frankfurter dog — ⁵⁄₅ nice snap, long looooong dog
Hot link dog — ⁵⁄₅ just a bare hint of spice. i wish it were spicer but it’s my husband’s favorite
Caprese dog — ⁵⁄₅ tastes like a slice of caprese salami in the shape of dog, my favorite
German frank dog — ⁵⁄₅ super juicy, perfect blend of pork and beef with a hint of garlic. must have with the sauerkraut, onion, pickles and mustard
Fries — ¹⁰⁄₅ crack fries. get them.
Berkeley burger with a fried egg — ³⁄₅ meh just a beef patty. fried egg was perfectly done tho.
If you’re a hot dog purist and care about the dog, the bun and the snap (and you don’t mind being adventurous with flavor) then you need to come here. Top quality ingredients at low cost. All dressing is optional or on the side.

I recommend the Monster Fries here other than that everything else is okay.
Whats ordered here:
# 9 Juicy Habanero Dog: Beef, pork, cheese, habaneros…
A bit on the hot side, I also added green peppers which cost me .50 cent extra, overall its not as tasty even with the unique mustards added on them, doesn’t give it some «amph».
Sides: Onion Rings: Battered but very oily, again not as tasty, too much on the plain side! the mustards won’t help these at all. When I took a bite of these I thought the liquid coming out of them was water but none of the less, oil.
Monster Fries: It has chipotle ranch, bacon bits, grilled onions and to top it off nacho cheese. This is my favorite out of the bunch due to the fact that finally there is something that can wake up my taste buds. The chipotle ranch makes these fries taste good, you can actually taste the chipotle! which adds flavor. The fries were crispy and the nacho cheese meshed well with the toppings.
Offerings: You have options to choose from to top it off on your hot dog, onions, relish, jalapeños, peperoncini, ketchup, mayo.
Unique Mustards: Coney Island, Hawaiian Pineapple, Maui Onion, and the Russian. I’ve tried all of their different mustards. The Coney Island in my opinion is close to above average but everything else, meh! Do these help make your hot dogs taste better? to me my guess it depends but I feel that not all them works out (which leaves my taste buds confused).
Verdict: I like Berkeley Dog being a gourmet hot dog shop but the Juicy Habanero I had was not tasty, the mustards couldn’t bring out the flavor which was a bummer but it doesn’t stop me from trying out their other hot dogs. They have variety which makes me want to comeback and give it a second chance to try others but hey their Monster Fries will be my side choice in future visits.

Move over Dog Haus, Berkeley Dog was most definitely worth my drive. The menu is designed for you to build your own. Add your own toppings (pricing still comes out cheaper than the specialty dogs at Dog Haus). I got the apply chicken dog, added some nacho cheese, grilled onions, along with the free sauerkraut and some oddly named mustard for a delicious wiener in my mouth.
Along with my hot dog, I got a side of the monster fries. Thin fries served is deserving of an honorable mention. Nacho cheese, lots of bits of bacon. Great dinner at a cheap price. Several tables around and Bruxie next door for dessert.
A lot of people may not know what Splash is, but I love Splash Café in SLO so was very shocked to hear they serve Splash’s clam chowders. Boyfriend was a huge fan also.

It’s not the same. I was expecting Top Dog. Apparently, the owner is a Cal grad. But… alas…it’s not the same. Where’s Durant Ave. Where’s the mean short guy in Berkeley yelling at you for not ordering fast enough? They did have my chicken apple and lemon chicken. And although there is more variety, you don’t need all those bells and whistles to have a good top dog. And it’s waaaaaaay over priced! In Berkeley, it was $ 2.75! It’s a good substitute for when you are not close to Berkeley, but if you are a die hard fan of Top Dog, it might just make you sad. I think my review is biased though… I just love Top Dog in Berkeley!

A decent lunch option if you’re in the mood for hot dogs.
Came here for lunch and got the smoked chicken apple with a fried egg and grilled onions. Also got the veggie Italian dog with a fried egg, fries, and a bowl of clam chowder.
The dogs were okay even with the abundance of peppers and mustard toppings. Fries were crispy. By far, the best part of the meal was the clam chowder.
A decent option for a quick bite if you’re in the area and in the mood for dogs.

I’d give 3.5÷5 if I could, but I think that it’s good enough to round up. I went with my parents and my sister. The parents weren’t too impressed with what they got (Bockwurst and Kobe Beef) but my sister, who loves the place, was very happy with her Bacon Hash Dog (I really want to try it next time!)
I had the Pepper Lemon Chicken; I’ve had Top Dog which is still hands down better in both bun & sausage (the bun is not as crispy and the sausage isn’t as tasty, although it’s tastier than the average hot dog). Still satisfying, considering that Top Dog is a 7 – 8 hours drive.
The range of different mustards was actually pretty impressive, but I didn’t try the ones that I was unfamiliar with so I can’t say much about them (yet).

It was a weekday, and typically during the week, I adhere to the Paleo diet as much as possible. Berkeley dog was a great option because I wouldn’t have to worry about missing out on great bread. Cause I am unfortunately a sucker for delicious bad carbs.
Anyway, i got the Kobe beef dog (sans bread) with a fried egg and sweet potato fries — all agreeable to the Paleo diet. Gratifying meal for about 7 bucks. Winner!

This place is located in Downtown Brea near the Edwards Theaters next to Bruxie’s. It’s casual and small, ideal for smaller groups of 2 – 4.
My friend and I shared a Kobe Dog AFTER we had eaten several dessert waffles at Bruxie’s. I really liked that the baguette bun was perfectly crispy on the edges but super soft when you bite into it so it doesn’t cut into the roof of your mouth, like some baguettes I’ve had at other places. The dog itself was ok and had a nice «snap» to it, but didn’t really stand out in any way.
I think if I weren’t sharing with a friend I would’ve tried more of the exotic dogs like the rattlesnake or alligator ones. The dogs are kind of pricey, especially if you add on the 50 cents per topping, like Aletheia W. mentioned.
I would come back if I was in the area, but I definitely wouldn’t go out of my way for it.

Move over Burger King. «Have it your way» at Berkeley Dog, where they offer a great selection of fully customizable sausages that caters to everyone’s individual taste.
Assuming you go with a friend, you can totally share the 2 sausages + a drink for $ 8.99. A side of fries (regular, sweet potato or funnel) and toppings are an additional cost. I had the frankfurter topped with chili, cheese and grilled onions. It was meaty, but not as juicy as advertised. Also, had I known they had freshly cut onions, I wouldn’t have added the grilled onions. I ended up doubling up on onions on my sausage (ain’t my date lucky??)!
The sweet potato fries were ok, kicked up a notch when combined with their mustards. The sweet maui onion mustard kind of reminded me of In-N-Out’s secret sauce.
Must try for sausage lovers if you’re in the area, but don’t make a trip out of it. I’ll be back!

Had dinner here this weekend with my boyfriend. I got the #2 combo — 2 hot dogs and a drink. I think it was $ 8, not bad!
I got the Kobe dog with grilled onions, and then I added ketchup and dill relish. I also got the Lemon Pepper Chicken dog with fresh onions & sweet maui onion mustard.
They cook each dog when you order it, so it took about 10 minutes for our order to come up. They have a station on one side of the restaurant with different peppers, relishes, mustards, and other condiments. I can see that area getting really cramped if this place is busy, luckily we were the only ones there.
The dogs are served in toasty sesame buns, which I liked a lot. The Kobe dog was bigger than the chicken dog. I wouldn’t order the grilled onions again, I liked the free freshly chopped ones better. The Kobe dog was alright, nothing special.
The Lemon Pepper Chicken dog on the other hand, was great! I really loved the flavor, you can totally taste the lemon and the pepper. I loved the sweet maui onion mustard.
BF ordered a Kobe dog as well, and also a Mighty Hot, which is all beef with peppers and spices in it. It was HOT and it was also really good. I would definitely order that one if we come back.
I really liked this place, reasonable prices and really good dogs!